StarMade Wiki - User contributions [en]

Rail Mass Enhancer

2017-04-27T09:55:26Z

Heillos: Wording tweaks.

{{infobox block/Rail_Mass_Enhancer}}
'''Rail Mass Enhancers''' are modules which increase the maximum mass any rail can move without slowing down. They are not necessary to allow large entities to dock to rails and are only relevant when rails on an entity must move a docked entity.
==Item Description==
"This block is used to combat slow down on rails. There is a certain mass free to place on each rail, but in case that is reached, the rail movement will slow down immensly. Each 'Rail Mass Enhancer' adds more possible mass to all the rails on your structure."

{{production/Rail_Mass_Enhancer}}
==Usage==
As players dock larger and larger entities to their rails, they will find that these entities move more slowly than usual. This is because the speed at which rails on a given entity (referred to as the "host" entity herein) can move a docked entity is dependent on the docked objects mass. In particular, if a docked entity is too massive, increasing its mass further will significantly decrease the speed which rails can move that entity at. Rail Mass Enhancers serve to increase the maximum mass that a "host" entity can move at maximum speed. Note that, if the rails on an entity are used exclusively as static docking points, adding Rail Mass Enhancers is not necessary.

Every entity has a default maximum mass threshold of 50. This means that any docked entity of 50 mass or lower will be able to move unabated along all rails. However, anything with a mass greater than 50 will move at less than maximum speed, with entities significantly larger than the cap barely moving at all. Each placed Rail Mass Enhancer increases the "host" entity's mass threshold by 5, allowing larger docked entities to move at maximum speed along its rails. Each mass enhancer, as an example, adds support for an additional 50 system blocks (0.1 mass apiece) or 20 Advanced Armor blocks (0.25 mass apiece). Mass enhancers are a standalone block with no controller, and function immediately after being placed. Mass enhancers consume 50 power per second per module (e/sec/block), and only work if the entity they are on has sufficient power.

It is worth noting that the mass threshold works as a "ceiling", it is not a pool from which units are drawn, to be depleted by, for example, a great number of small docked entities. It simply defines the maximum mass, of an individual docked entity (or chain of docked entities), which the "host" entity can move along its rails at maximum speed.

Chain docked entities will also require mass enhancers to move their respective docked entities. While this rule can have an effect on all rail systems, it is of most frequent significance when working with turrets. Turrets, being composed of two entities in order to have a full range of motion, will often need mass enhancers on the first section, the "base", to support the motion of the turret's "barrel" section. The entity which the turret is docked to must have enhancers enough to support the total mass of the largest turret on it.

===Formulas===
This section summarizes the formulas mentioned in the text above, which govern the mass threshold provided by, and the power consumption of, a group of Rail Mass Enhancers.

The mass threshold of an entity is defined as follows: 
<big>'''MassThreshold''' = '''NumberOfEnhancers''' * '''5''' + '''50'''</big>

Therefore, the formula for the number of mass enhancers required to reach a certain mass threshold is given by the following formula, with the result rounded up: 
<big>'''RequiredEnhancerCount''' = ( '''DockedMass''' - '''50''' ) / '''5'''</big> 
''Note:'' "DockedMass" ''is the total mass of the heaviest docking chain which the entity must be able to support.''

The power consumption, in energy per second (abbreviated e/sec), for a given number of Rail Mass Enhancers on an entity, is simply: 
<big>'''PowerConsumption''' = '''NumberOfEnhancers''' * '''50'''</big>

[[Category:Docking]] [[Category:General]]

Space Station

2017-04-20T10:51:55Z

Heillos: Fixing link

{{stub}}

Space Stations are stationary structures which may be found or [[Player Stations#Station Construction|built]] in space and can play a variety of roles including, but not limited to: docking, storage, combat platforms, safe havens and even platforms for roleplaying. The possibilities are endless. There are three categories of stations, based on ownership and faction relations: [[Player Stations]], [[Neutral Stations]] and [[Pirate Stations]].
==Related==
{{Game Mechanics Navigator}}
[[Category:SpaceStation]]
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

User:Ciggofwar

2017-04-20T01:12:48Z

Heillos: Placing advice for editing here rather than talk page due to inability to create discussion topics (bug?).

Hi {{FlowMention|Ciggofwar}}, thank you for your contribution to Starmadepedia! I've made some pretty sweeping changes to [[Player Stations]] to bring it in line with our standards, so I'll just briefly outline why I've done things, and explain where you can find relevant information to improve your own editing.

First and foremost for reference are the wiki's [[StarMade Wiki:Manual of Style|Manual of Style]] and [[StarMade Wiki:Rules|Rules]]. The Manual of Style is a pretty exhaustive explanation of the desired writing standards for Starmadepedia. Being 100% up to scratch isn't absolutely necessary, as long as the content is useful, however.

When you want to display a hotkey that a player should press to do something, use [[Template:K/doc|Template:K]]. The syntax for this is <nowiki>{{K|Hotkey name}}</nowiki>, with every hotkey name being listed alongside the resultant symbol in the document I linked.

Images should not be linked externally: rather, they should be uploaded via [[Special:Upload|this page]] with an appropriate filename, and placed in an article using [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Images%7C the markup explained on this page].

In fact, [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki%7C the MediaWiki Wiki] is a great source for help on any of the markup used here on Starmadepedia, and I highly recommend checking it out if you're uncertain about anything!

Lastly, my apologies for posting in your user page rather than your talk page, but I've found that I'm unable to create new discussion topics and wanted to be sure I could reach you somehow.

Hopefully this information is of service in future,

Happy editing!

[[User:Heillos|Heillos]] ([[User talk:Heillos|talk]]) 13:12, 20 April 2017 (NZST)

Player Stations

2017-04-20T00:47:43Z

Heillos: Rewritten to comply with Manual of Style.

{{stub}}
'''Player Stations''' are [[Space Station]]s that are owned by players. Space stations provide a wide array of benefits which are not available to ships.
==Overview==
Stations offer a number of benefits not available to ships, primarily in that the blocks listed below may be placed on a station. Stations may also be claimed by a faction as their homebase, rendering that station invulnerable, as well as any entity docked to the station. Homebase locations are, however, publicly listed, and this should be kept in mind. A summary of the key functions offered by station-only blocks is as follows:
*Long-distance transportation via [[Warp Gate|Warp Gates]].
*[[Production]] of blocks by refining raw resources into capsules, and combining these to make blocks.
*Providing secure and practical respawn points for friendly players using [[Undeathinator|Undeathinators]]
*Trading with players and NPC factions using a [[Shop Module]].
*Constructing, repairing, and disassembling ships using [[Shipyard|Shipyards]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="5"|Space Station Only Blocks
|-
| [[Advanced Factory]][[File:Advanced Factory.png|100px|link=Advanced Factory]]|| [[Basic Factory]][[File:Basic Factory.png|100px|link=Basic Factory]]|| [[Capsule Refinery]][[File:Capsule Refinery.png|100px|link=Capsule Refinery]]|| [[Factory Enhancer]][[File:Factory Enhancer.png|100px|link=Factory Enhancer]]|| [[Micro Assembler]][[File:Micro Assembler.png|100px|link=Micro Assembler]]
|-
| [[Plex Lift]][[File:Plex Lift.png|100px|link=Plex Lift]]|| [[Race Gate Controller]][[File:Race Gate Controller.png|100px|link=Race Gate Controller]]|| [[Race Gate Module]][[File:Race Gate Module.png|100px|link=Race Gate Module]] || [[Shipyard Computer]][[File:Shipyard Computer.png|100px|link=Shipyard Computer]] ||[[Shipyard Core Anchor]][[File:Shipyard Core Anchor.png|100px|link=Shipyard Core Anchor]]
|-
| [[Shipyard Module]][[File:Shipyard Module.png|100px|link=Shipyard Module]]|| [[Shop Module]][[File:Shop Module.png|100px|link=Shop Module]]|| [[Undeathinator]][[File:Undeathinator.png|100px|link=Undeathinator]] ||[[Warp Gate Computer]][[File:Warp Gate Computer.png|100px|link=Warp Gate Computer]] ||[[Warp Gate Module]][[File:Warp Gate Module.png|100px|link=Warp Gate Module]]
|}

==Station Acquisition==
In most cases, a player will wish to build a station from scratch to suit their needs; this process is detailed directly below. However, a number of existing stations in the universe are "derelict": abandoned by whatever entity may have owned them, and claimable by a player, if they can afford the refurbishment fee. The process of claiming a derelict station is detailed below the relevant heading.
===Station Construction===
The hotkey to spawn a station is {{K|Spawn station}}. Spawning a station costs 50,000 credits by default, and causes a single block of Grey Standard Armor to appear near the player. This is the "center" of the station, and is where the navigation diamond for the station will always appear. A station's Y-axis will always be aligned with the axis of the player who spawned it: therefore, care should be taken that the player spawning a station is not at an unnatural angle. Pressing {{K|Align}} while aiming into empty space will ensure that the player is aligned to the galactic normal, and therefore that the station is too.

In almost all circumstances, one or more Undeathinators should be placed somewhere on the station. Pressing {{K|Activate module}} on an Undeathinator sets the space above that block as the activating player's respawn coordinates. This ensures that players can respawn in a familiar and safe location, rather than a public or default spawn point which is potentially a great distance from a friendly station.

If the station is to be used for trading purposes, a Shop Module is necessary to enable such functionality; only one may be placed per station.

====Faction Ownership====
A [[Faction Module]] should be added to the new station promptly, to prevent tampering and ensure it is not damaged. After placing it, pressing {{K|Activate module}} on it will open its interface: to claim the station as a homebase, press "Enter Faction Signature", followed by "Make Faction Home" (''Note that a faction may have only one homebase at a time''). Pressing "Claim System" also claims the local star system for the station's faction (if the system is unclaimed), which will confer a bonus to mining effectiveness, and warn faction members when any player enters the system.

===Claiming a Derelict Station===
Derelict stations commonly feature the word "Derelict" in their names, but not always. All derelict stations, however, have "(decayed)" appended to their name strings.

Derelict stations may be modified just like any other station, but there is a key difference: their decayed nature means that any block removed from them, ''including'' new blocks placed by the player, will only drop either [[Scrap Alloy]] or [[Scrap Composite]], ''not'' the block itself. This effect remains in place until such time as the station is "refurbished" by pressing {{K|Spawn station}} on any block of the station.

Refurbishing a station ''only'' causes blocks to drop instead of scrap, it will not repair or alter the station in any other way. The process costs an amount of credits equal to the total value of every block on the derelict station (based on the values set in BlockConfig.xml, not their current value to NPC shops in-game). A useful strategy to reduce refurbishment cost is to remove blocks which will not be desired later, especially if they are expensive blocks such as Advanced Armor or system modules.

As with stations constructed from scratch, utilizing a Faction Module to protect the station is advisable.

{|class="wikitable"
|+Station Refurbishment Costs
!Station Name
!Cost (credits)
|-
|Derelict Alpha
|26,106,063
|-
|Derelict Gamma
|17,940,725
|-
|Derelict Delta
|80,757,114
|-
|Derelict Eta
|1,310,472,102
|}

Space Station

2017-04-19T04:18:15Z

Heillos:

{{stub}}

Space Stations are stationary structures which may be found or [[Player Stations#Building|built]] in space and can play a variety of roles including, but not limited to: docking, storage, combat platforms, safe havens and even platforms for roleplaying. The possibilities are endless. There are three categories of stations, based on ownership and faction relations: [[Player Stations]], [[Neutral Stations]] and [[Pirate Stations]].
==Related==
{{Game Mechanics Navigator}}
[[Category:SpaceStation]]
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

Docking

2017-03-20T23:11:25Z

Heillos: Updating as requested, with basic usage info.

{{stub}}
'''Docking''' is there process of attaching one star ship to other entity in StarMade. When docked ships gain various benefits such as sharing power, shielding, and even homebase invulnerability.

==Overview==
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px" height="30px"|<big>Docking Module</big>
|-
!style="text-align:center;"| [[Rail Docker]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Rail Docker.png|link=Rail Docker| 150px]]
|}
Docking is an essential part of StarMade's core gameplay. Any [[Ship Core]] driven entity has the capacity to be attached to another entity be it a [[Space Station]], [[Asteroid]], or even another Ship. Players can also attach any number of ships on to each other creating massive chain docks. All in docking in the game requires the use of the [[Rail Docker]] and the various rail blocks. Using the Rail system players are able to not only create static docks for their ships but also fully mobile platforms. Ships docked to a rail network will move accordingly depending on the type of rail block used and its direction. [[Logic Signals]] are used to control the movement in a rail network. Docking a ship to a [[Faction]] Home base will make it completely invincible and access restricted keeping it safe while you are away.

When a ship has been successfully docked it will begin to share several vital systems with its parent entity. The Energy Supply of the parent is added to the docked entity allowing the docked ship to rely entirely on its power for things like weapons and other systems. It should also be noted that the maximum power capacity will stack for each entity as the docking chain goes deeper. The only down side to this is the fact the power generation is not shared and must be generated locally.

Shields on a docked entity and its parent entity is shared but only to a certain extent. When struck with weapon fire a docked entity will count as part of the parent entity thus draining the parent's shields first. However as long as the parent entities shields remain above 25% (configurable) then the docked ship will be completely shielded. If the Parent entity's shielding does drop below 25% then all docked entities must rely on their on-board shielding for defenses. In larger fights going after a ships turrets can be a very high priority as they are simultaneously a ships strongest and weakest points.

===Basic Usage===
The basic operation of a docking system requires a ship fitted with a Rail Docker, and a target ship, with at least one accessible Rail Basic, Rail Rotator, or Rail Turret Axis. On board the docking ship, the Rail Docker must be placed on the hotbar by opening the Weapons Menu ({{K|Weapon menu}}) and dragging the desired Rail Docker's icon into a hotbar slot. Then, the pilot must select the Rail Docker in the hotbar and fire it at the desired rail block on the target ship. A Rail Docker fires a beam over a relatively short range, and can be difficult to aim if the viewpoint is offset from the Z-axis of the docker itself. For greatest ease of aiming, a [[Camera]] should be placed directly behind, or in front of, the docker.

===Static Docks and Linear Movement===
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px" height="30px"|<big>Docking Module</big>
|-
!style="text-align:center;"| [[Rail Basic]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Rail Basic.png|link=Rail Basic| 150px]]
|}
In StarMade, static docking and linear movement can both be done with a single type of block, the [[Rail Basic]]. If you wish to create a static dock where a docked ship does not move then all that is needed is to place a single Rail basic down in the desired direction and orientation. When a ship docks to this rail basic it will snap into place and in the direction that the arrow on the rail basic is facing. It is also advised that when creating static docks you make the appropriate space for it. prospective docking ships will calculate if there is enough clearance before teleporting into place. If there is no room to dock then the docking ship will receive an error message.

While docked entities will remain still when docked to a solitary Rail Basic if there is several rail basics place adjacent to each other then linear movement will occur. In rail movement a ship will slowly move across the face of a rail block. The direction in which a ship will move is determined again by the arrow on its "face". A docked ship will continue to move in a given direction so long as the rails it is moving across all point in the same direction. If a rail block happens to face a different direction then the rail entity will "hop" its tracks and change course. Through the use of logic rail movement can be manipulated in more advanced ways such as instant directional changes as well as full stops.

===Rotation===
{| class="wikitable"
!height="30px" colspan="2"|<big>Docking Module</big>
|-
![[Rail Rotator Clock Wise]] !! [[Rail Rotator Counter Clock Wise]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Rail Rotator Clock Wise.png|link=Rail Rotator Clock Wise| 150px]] ||style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Rail Rotator Counter Clock Wise.png|link=Rail Rotator Counter Clock Wise| 150px]]
|}
Along with linear movement the rail system also allows docked ships to be rotated in different directions. The [[Rail Rotator Clock Wise]] and [[Rail Rotator Counter Clock Wise]] blocks are both used to rotate docked entities. Other than that both blocks function identically to each other. The "face" features two sets of arrows, A large central one and a directional quarter circle one. The central arrow much like the [[Rail Basic]] determines both the docking and linear movement direction. The quarter circular arrow indicates the direction in which a rail entity will turn. When used on their own the rotators will automatically turn a docked ship in its indicated direction. If used in conjunction with [[Rail Basic]]s it will first initiate its turn then move the docked ship in its linear movement direction (provided there is another rail block for it to move to).

Rotator blocks make more extensive use of logic then their rail basic cousins. If you were to connect [[Activation Module]]s to a rotator rail then you can determine the rotational degree in which that rotator will turn. The act of turn on the Activation Modules will determine the total rotational degree of the next turn. Rotational degrees can be changed in 45 degrees at a time. With 8 activated Activation Modules a rotator will do a complete 360 degree turn. Connecting a 9th Activation Module will make the next turn infinite. Use this method to create infinity spinning rail creations.
===Turret Docking===
{{main|Turret}}
{| class="wikitable"
!width="200px" height="30px"|<big>Docking Module</big>
|-
!style="text-align:center;"| [[Rail Turret Axis]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Rail Turret Axis.png|link=Rail Turret Axis| 150px]]
|}
[[Turret]]s can also created using docking but are less straight forward in their construction. They require the use of the [[Rail Turret Axis]] block. The Arrow on the block's "Face" only determines the docking direction and does not make a ship move at all. Once a ship has docked to a Rail Turret Axis it will have full 360 degree rotational movement, unlike Rail Rotators which require the use of logic and [[Activation Module]]s in its activation. However one docked ship will only allow for rotation on just one axis. In order to enable a turret to track targets along another axis you will need to dock another ship onto the first.

The first ship that you dock will be considered the "Base" while the second one acts as the "Barrel". The AI for turrets currently only takes advantage of two axes: The Horizontal (X-axis) and the Vertical (Y-axis). A turret will only take advantage of both axis's as long as there is one ship rotates along both axes. Whether the base or the barrel rotates along the x-axis doesn't matter as long as the other ship rotates along the y-axis. Finally the Barrel ship is the primary ship on a turret. When you activate the AI on the barrel it will control the base in order to allow more range of movement. The Barrel is also most likely where you will put all of your weapon systems. There is (Currently?) no way for the base to share weapons and systems with the barrel.

===Fleet Docking===
{| class="wikitable"
!height="30px" colspan="3"|<big>Docking Module</big>
|-
![[Pickup Rail]] !! [[Pickup Point]] !! [[Shootout Rail]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[File:Pickup Rail.png|link=Pickup Rail| 150px]] ||style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Pickup Point.png|link=Pickup Point| 150px]] ||style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Shootout Rail.png|link=Shootout Rail|150px]]
|}
[[Fleet]]s are special groupings of ships that players can designate to do a variety of tasks. One such benefit of fleets is the ability to create functioning carrier ships. These carrier ships make use of several intangible docking blocks in order to launch and recall fighters as well as moving them into their docks without physical rail contact. Fleet docking blocks are naturally invisible in [[Modes#Flight Mode|flight mode]] and can only be seen in [[Modes#Build Mode|build mode]]. All fleet docking blocks are also intangible meaning that you can fly through them. However they also count as a part of your ship and can trigger shields and be destroyed like any other block.

The First of these blocks is the [[Pickup Rail]]. The pickup rail functions exactly like its physical counterpart the [[Rail Basic]] but with the added benefit of allowing docked entities to pass through it. These are mainly used to move fleet ships to their receptive docks on a carrier. They are also used in conjunction to the [[Pickup Point]] which is a unique block that acts as an auto docking point for any ship whose [[Rail Docker]] gets within 3 meters of it. They also work as a recall point for a ship's AI when in a fleet. The last fleet docking block is the [[Shootout Rail]]. This block is similar to the pickup rail but with the ability to launch docked entities from it like a real world aircraft carrier.

==Advanced Uses==
TBA

===Speed and Mass===
TBA
===Logic===
TBA

[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

Shop

2017-01-11T01:47:40Z

Heillos: Changing image alignment so the surrounding text is neater on most screens.

===Shop===
This article is about naturally generated shops. For personal shops, see [[Shop Module|Shop Module.]]

[[File:A randomly-generated shop..png|thumb|right|A standard naturally-generated shop.]]
Shops are automatically generated structures that spawn everywhere in the universe. They are used to buy and sell most if not all items in the game and appear as a [[File:Shop_icon.png|baseline]] in the galaxy map. Shops are owned by the Trade Guid and will buy and sell every type of block, however its stock is random, and influenced by the blocks' rarity. Prices are not fixed and will vary between stations or change by the fact that you are buying or selling. See the list of all available items for more details on all available blocks and modules that are found at the shop.

Around the middle there are 4 Undeathinators, where you can set your spawn point to. It is also wise to keep your guns pointed away from the station at all times less you want to incur the wrath of the trading guild's fleet (3 shots will do the trick). Once all the station's blocks are destroyed, the station-marker disapears, meaning you can no longer use any of its services.

===Console Commands===

For StarMade admins, the /shop_restock can be used to restock the selected shop, whether it be in singleplayer or multiplayer.

===Advanced Shops===

Advanced shops are more rare variants of normal shops. They spawn at a much lower rate compared to normal shops.

They also have the same icon as a normal shop in the Galaxy Map, which makes them hard to locate.
An advanced shop will always spawn at (2, 2, 2), the default player spawn point.
[[File:Advanced Shop.png|thumb|right|An advanced shop.]]

[[File:Advanced Shop Zoomed.png|thumb|left|The center of an advanced shop. Note the NPC Shop Keeper, the Trader, that spawns inside.]]

Advanced shops will spawn a Trader inside, who can sell the player equipment and weapons. Please note that they will fight back upon provocatation, but are peaceful otherwise.

===Structure===
Shops are long tubes made of [[Grey Standard Armor]]. They also have 4 Rail Dockers around the middle.

[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

Warp Gate

2016-10-24T21:15:28Z

Heillos: Clarifying linking process a bit.

A Warp Gate is a transport system which can connect two physically separate [[Space Station]]s, allowing ships to teleport between the two as long as the ships can fit within the physical boundaries of the gate, and the stations have enough power to support the mass being transported.

The term "Warp Gate" is technically applicable to each individual gate, but without another gate linked to it, a single gate has no function.

Each Warp Gate is composed of one [[Warp Gate Computer]] [[Linking|linked]] to a number of [[Warp Gate Module]]s. For a Warp Gate to function, the Warp Gate Modules must be arranged in a physically-contiguous ring, or other closed profile (eg. square, diamond, etc), with all of the modules aligned on the same plane. Any 2D shape which forms a closed profile is technically compatible; the only requirements are that all modules lie on the same plane, and that all modules touch exactly 2 other modules.

Warp Gates must be linked to each other using a [[Marker Beam]]. This is an [[Astronaut Tool]] used for inter-structure linking. To link a Warp Gate, follow the procedure below:
#Set a station as a target coordinate for the Marker Beam by holding {{K|Break block}} until the message "'''Marked <nowiki>'EntityName'</nowiki>'''" briefly displays on the targeted block.
#Travel to the second warp gate station.
#While aiming ''specifically'' at the Warp Gate Computer of this station, hold {{K|Attack}} until the message "'''Entered <nowiki>'EntityName'</nowiki> as destination.'''" briefly displays on the targeted block.
#*The ''second'' warp gate station now has a link which will send entities back to the first station, but this only goes one way, so far. For the link to work both ways, continue this process:
#Set the ''second'' station as the target coordinate for the Marker Beam.
#Travel back to the first warp gate station. ''(Passing through the gate on the second station is likely the quickest way to do so)''
#Hold {{K|Attack}} while aiming at the ''first'' station's Warp Gate Computer.
#*Once the "'''Entered <nowiki>'EntityName'</nowiki> as destination.'''" message appears, the gate is successfully linked both ways.

Defense Systems

2016-10-24T02:58:21Z

Heillos: Fixed c/m projectile count, noted CIWS abbreviation.

{{WIP}}

In [[StarMade]], players will often face a variety of threats to the safety of themselves and their entities (ships, stations, turrets or otherwise). Regardless of whether the attackers are players, NPCs, or both at once, the ways in which a player can ensure their survival are the same. This page details these mechanics by which a player can ensure the safety of their entities.

==Summary==

Here is a brief breakdown of the various mechanics which are relevant to defense.
*Shields: A regenerating HP pool which absorbs all incoming damage until depleted. When depleted, they enter a brief "outage" phase (wherein they do not recharge) before beginning to regenerate again.
**Defensive Ion Effect: Decreases damage dealt to shields by up to 60% when active.
*Hit Points (HP): Every block has a set HP value, representing its own structural integrity. When the HP of a block is reduced to 0, it is destroyed.
*Armor: A flat percentage value granted to a range of blocks, which reduces damage dealt to that block by the stated percentage. Applied before AHP absorption.
*Armor HP (AHP): A non-regenerating HP pool which absorbs 50% (without defensive effects) of all damage dealt to any block which contributes to the AHP pool (in short, all tiers of hull and doors). Applied after armor reduction, and stacks multiplicatively with it.
**Defensive Piercing Effect: Increases the amount of damage absorbed by AHP to a maximum of 75% (from 50%)
**Defensive Punch-Through Effect: Reduces damage taken by AHP by up to 25%. Does not change amount of damage absorbed, but rather acts as an Armor value for the AHP pool itself.
*Structure HP (SHP): A non-regenerating HP pool which serves as a measure of an entity's integrity. As it decreases, various penalties are applied to the entity. When it is reduced to 50%, the entity will overheat: this ejects any pilot in its [[Ship Core]] and renders it inoperable. An overheating entity has a countdown, proportional to the entity's size, before it collapses, disappearing altogether. This countdown can be stopped, and the entity rendered operable again, by "rebooting" it.
*Turrets: Although not exclusively defensive in nature, AI-controlled turrets still play key roles in entity defense:
**Shooting down incoming missiles, neutralizing damage which would otherwise have to be mitigated by shields or armor.
**Allowing heavy, slow-turning ships to apply damage to smaller, more maneuverable vessels.

==Shields==

Shields are the first layer of an entity's defenses. A shield system relies on two blocks: the [[Shield Capacitor]] and the [[Shield-Recharger]]. The capacity of the shield is dependent on the number of Shield Capacitors, and its rate of regeneration is dependent on the number of Shield-Rechargers. While an entity has any shield remaining, it will not take block damage. Once the shield is depleted, it is rendered temporarily vulnerable.

Once a ship's shields have reached 0 HP, they will stop recharging for 10 seconds. After this 10 seconds has elapsed, the shields will begin recharging once more. However, if the ship is still taking damage, it is likely that they will be rapidly depleted again, and another 10 second recovery time will begin, leaving the ship open to continued damage.

Unlike most other ship systems, shield systems require no controller, nor do they have any placement rules which affect efficiency. This often serves to make them an ideal filler block, being used in small spaces where other blocks, which require efficient placement, would go to waste. The only design consideration is deciding what values of shield capacity and regeneration are desirable; bearing in mind the power demands the [[Shield-Recharger]]s will make on the ship's [[Power_Systems|power system]].

The strength of a shield can be increased using the [[Ion Effect Computer|Ion Effect system]]: this will reduce damage taken by shields by up to 60%, effectively functioning as an Armor value for shields. This is explained in more detail in the [[#Defensive Effects|Defensive Effects]] section below.

===Shield Rules===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''LEGEND'''
|-
| '''C''' || Shield Capacity
|-
| '''NC''' || Number of Shield Capacitators
|-
| '''NR''' || Number of Shield-Rechargers
|-
| '''R''' || Shield Regeneration per Second
|-
| '''S''' || Current amount of shields
|-
| '''P''' || Power Usage
|}

The exact capacity, regeneration, and power consumption of a shield system can be calculated by using a few different formulas.
Any decimal results produced by these formulas should be rounded down to the nearest whole number.

The shield capacity, '''C''', of a ship with '''NC''' number of [[Shield Capacitor]]s, can be found by the formula: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''C''' = '''NC'''0.9791797578 * '''110''' + '''220'''</tt>.

The shield regeneration per second, '''R''', of a ship with '''NR''' number of [[Shield-Recharger]]s, can be found by the formula: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''R''' = '''NR''' * '''5.5'''</tt>

Upon taking a hit, the shield regeneration per second drops to 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''R''' = '''NR''' * '''5.5''' * '''0.25''' * ('''1''' - '''0.5''' * '''S''' / '''C''')</tt> 
for one minute, where '''S''' is the current amount of remaining shields (effectively reducing the shield regeneration by 82.25% to 75% depending if your ship's shields are full or nearly depleted)

The power usage per second, '''P''', for a given number of [[Shield-Recharger]]s changes depending on whether or not the ship's shields are fully charged.

If the shields are fully charged: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''P''' = '''R''' </tt>

If the shields are not fully charged: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''P''' = '''10''' * '''R''' </tt>

==Armor==
All blocks have an armor value, although in the majority of cases it is 0%. Non-0% armor values decrease damage dealt to that block by the given percentage. For example, consider a 400-damage cannon projectile striking a block of Advanced Armor (250HP, 75% armor reduction). 400 reduced by 75% is 100, and so the Advanced Armor block takes only 100HP of damage.

==Hit Points==
All blocks also have a Hit Points (HP) value, representative of that block's durability and integrity (stronger blocks, like armor, have higher HP). When the HP of a block reaches 0, it is destroyed.

Damaged blocks can be repaired by [[Astrotech Computer|Astrotech Beams]]. This is not common practice, however, as most significant battle damage destroys blocks altogether. Furthermore, the amount of effort required (piloting a repair vessel and firing at every damaged block) is not proportional to the reward received (minor cosmetic repairs, with no effect on missile craters or other significant damage).

As the HP of a block decreases, it appears progressively more dented and darkened, with almost-broken blocks approaching black in colouration and being very visibly crumpled. Destroyed blocks break into fragments which will bounce around for a duration before disappearing altogether.

As well as individual block HP, entities have two overall HP pools: Structure HP and Armor HP, both of which are detailed below.

===Structure HP===
Structure HP, abbreviated to "SHP", is a measure of the overall structural integrity of a ship. Its maximum value is the sum of each block in the ship's individual SHP contribution: systems blocks such as power, shields, and weapons are the primary contributors to the SHP total. Armor and miscellaneous blocks provide very small SHP contributions. Any block that is intangible, or can become intangible (such as door blocks) provide no SHP: this prevents the creation of effectively-invulnerable pools of hitpoints.

SHP, being the measure of a ship's integrity, also defines when it is destroyed. When blocks on a ship are destroyed, the ship loses SHP proportional to both the SHP contribution of the block, and the overall size of the ship (the maximum SHP value remains unchanged, so that how damaged the ship is can be measured). As SHP decreases, various penalties are applied to the ship.

Once SHP has decreased to 50% of its maximum, the ship enters an "overheating" state. When a ship begins overheating, any player who is piloting it, or in a block such as a weapon computer or [[Build Block]], will be ejected: there are no direct penalties to the pilot or crew, but they will likely be threatened by whatever force has overheated their ship. An overheating ship has a countdown, proportional to its size, before it "collapses", disappearing altogether: this countdown can be stopped by [[#Rebooting|rebooting]] the ship. Overheating ships are inoperable, and the core cannot be entered until rebooted.

While a ship's structure HP is at 100%, it can be edited normally, with no negative effect. However, when its SHP is below 100%, it cannot be edited without consequences: removing blocks will only remove their SHP value from the current HP amount, and adding blocks will only add their SHP value to the maximum SHP amount. In this way, any change made to a damaged ship will cause its current SHP% to decrease, eventually causing it to overheat if too many changes are made.

The table below displays the penalties applied to an entity as structure HP decreases. To ensure clarity, the definition of each term is explained beforehand:

*'''SHP %''': When the entity's current SHP % is less than this, the stated penalties are in effect.
*'''Power Recharge''': The percentage, of the normal value, which power regenerates at. Does not have any effect on [[Power Auxiliary|Power Auxiliaries]].
*'''Shield Recharge''': The percentage, of the normal value, which shields regenerate at.
*'''Thrust''': The percentage, of the normal value, which maximum speed is set to (thrust output, power cost, and thrust:mass ratio are seemingly unchanged)
*'''Control Loss''': Makes the entity unresponsive to player input of any sort, besides rebooting. Particularly harmful if the ship is part-way through a rotation, as the pilot will be unable to stop the rotation.

{|class="wikitable"
|+SHP Damage Penalties
|-
!SHP %
!Power Recharge
!Shield Recharge
!Thrust
!Control Loss
!Overheating
|-
|90%
|90%
|90%
|90%
|No
|No
|-
|80%
|80%
|80%
|80%
|No
|No
|-
|70%
|70%
|70%
|70%
|No
|No
|-
|60%
|50%
|50%
|50%
|No
|No
|- style="background-color:#e69500"
|55%
|50%
|50%
|50%
|Yes
|No
|- style="background-color:#e60000"
|50%
|0%
|0%
|50%
|Yes
|Yes
|}
===Armor HP===
Armor HP, abbreviated AHP, is a damage mitigation pool which applies only to armored blocks. As with SHP, its maximum value is the sum of individual blocks' AHP values. Comparatively few blocks contribute to AHP: Only door blocks (Glass Doors, Plex Doors, Blast Doors, and Forcefields) and all types of hull/armor (Basic, Standard, Advanced and Crystal). AHP absorbs 50% of damage dealt to any block which contributes to the AHP pool; this absorption takes place after per-block armor reduction. Note that AHP will only apply its absorption to blocks which have an AHP value themselves, and will not affect damage dealt to systems such as power or shields.

For example, consider a 400-damage cannon projectile striking a block of Advanced Armor (as mentioned in the Armor section), but this time factoring in AHP as well. The Advanced Armor block reduces the 400 damage by 75%, to 100 damage, but this is not actually dealt to the block yet. Armor HP absorbs 50% of this reduced amount, and so 50 damage is dealt to the Advanced Armor block, with the other 50 damage being taken by the AHP pool instead.

The amount which armor HP absorbs can be increased by using the Piercing Effect defensively, and Punch-Through Effect will reduce the damage taken by the AHP pool, effectively negating up to 25% of all damage which it absorbs. These are explained in more detail in the [[#Defensive Effects|Defensive Effects]] section.

Because AHP takes damage based on incoming damage, ''not'' block destruction (Like SHP), it can often be depleted far in advance of all armor blocks on a ship being destroyed. When AHP reaches 0, it will no longer be able to absorb any of the damage dealt to armor blocks.

===Effective HP===
An important concept to understand, when designing a ship's defenses, is that of Effective HP (EHP). This is the amount of damage it takes to destroy a block, accounting for armor and armor HP reductions. For a given block, its EHP can be found by the following formula. ''Note that percentages should be expressed as their decimal forms, in order to produce correct results. Armor HP reduction is 50% (0.5) by default, and reaches a maximum of 75% (0.75) with 25% Piercing Effect.''

<big>'''EHP''' = '''BlockHP''' / ( '''1''' - '''Armor%''' ) / ( '''0.5''' - '''Piercing%''' )</big>

The table below lists effective HP values for hull, standard armor and advanced armor. EHP values are displayed for 3 distinct states of damage reduction: AHP+25% Piercing Effect, AHP, and no AHP.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Armor EHP
! Armor Tier !! AHP+Piercing !! AHP Only !! No AHP
|-
| [[:Category:Hull|Hull]] ||style="text-align:right"| 300 ||style="text-align:right"| 150 ||style="text-align:right"| 75
|-
| [[:Category:Standard|Standard Armor]] ||style="text-align:right"| 1,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 500 ||style="text-align:right"| 250
|-
| [[:Category:Advanced|Advanced Armor]] ||style="text-align:right"| 4,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 2,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 1,000
|}

A simple [https://www.desmos.com/calculator/scuhccyzn5 Desmos graph] displays the change in an armor block's EHP as Piercing Effect is added to AHP absorption.

===Rebooting===
A ship can be "rebooted" to reset its current SHP to 100%, also stopping it from overheating, if it currently is. Specifically, this sets the maximum SHP value of the ship to the sum of every remaining block's SHP value. Rebooting is accomplished by pressing {{K|Reboot}}, if in the ship, or simply activating the core by pressing {{K|Activate module}}. Rebooting takes a minimum of 30 seconds, with larger ships taking proportionally longer to reboot.

The formula below is believed to accurately express the reboot time, in seconds, of a given ship. This value is partially dependent on the current SHP, as a percentage, of the ship being rebooted. Mass is the most significant driver of reboot time, and very large ships can take exceedingly long periods to reboot.

<big>'''RebootTime''' = '''40''' - '''CurrentSHP%''' * '''10''' + '''ShipMass''' * '''0.0002'''</big>

Note that rebooting a ship will not reset its AHP value. AHP must be repaired at any station with shop capabilities; this includes player-made stations with [[Shop Module|Shop Modules]]. Repairs cost 1 credit per AHP repaired.

==Turrets==
Any entity can have turrets docked to it; separate entities which rotate freely about a [[Rail Turret Axis]], usually working in pairs to provide both axes of motion. Although not exclusively a defensive weapon, turrets play some key roles in defending an entity, both in shooting down missiles, and in protecting large, lumbering ships from more nimble harrassers.

===Anti-Missile===
The foremost defensive use of turrets is in shooting down enemy missiles, readily negating often significant amounts of potential damage. Turrets used for this purpose are referred to as point-defense (PD), point-defense turrets (PDT), or sometimes anti-missile turrets (AMT). The term CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) also sees some use, as this is the real-world equivalent of such systems.

For a turret to shoot down missiles, it must be equipped with [[Cannon Computer|cannons]]: these are the only type of weapon which can damage missiles. Missiles have only 1 HP, and are therefore destroyed by any hit. Although a player operating a point-defense turret is technically possible, it is not advisable, as missiles do not have navigation markers, and players cannot reasonably match the rate at which AI can track and destroy them. Therefore, a point defense turret should also be equipped with a [[BOBBY AI Module]] set to behave as a turret, and ordered to target missiles in particular.

The weapons utilized by a point-defense turret have a few peculiarities, due to their specialized role. First and foremost, one must note that all [[Effects|tertiary effects]] are of no use on a point-defense turret: all it needs to do is deal 1 damage to each missile, and every tertiary effect simply modifies the effect of a weapon's damage, which is redundant when the target will die in one hit. As cannons are the only weapon type which can damage missiles, options are somewhat limited. The most important characteristic of a point-defense turret is to produce a great volume of fire, therefore increasing the chance of the turret hitting its target. The preeminent weapon combination, therefore, is cannon/cannon, due to its high rate of fire.

A useful supplementary (but not primary, especially for-point defense) choice of weapon is cannon/missile, owing to its shotgun-like effect (producing a spread of 10 projectiles per firing of the weapon). This spread can prove useful against missile/missile systems (which also launch many projectiles), as the large area of a cannon/missile spread makes them more likely to collide with such clusters of missiles. However, it has a lower rate of fire than cannon/cannon, and, due to its arbitrary and non-centered spread (none of the projectiles fired fire directly forwards), is unsuited for use in most cases, particularly with AI. This is because an AI does not recognize the pattern which cannon/missile fires in, and simply aims as though the projectile will fire directly forwards.

===Anti-Ship===
Turrets are, of course, of particular use in defending slow or stationary targets against faster-moving entities which a large ship cannot neccessarily bring its main guns to bear on. This is a fairly broad topic, of course, and design varies significantly as it is not such a specific role as point-defense. There are no particular specifications to be upheld, as long as the turret is effective within the relevant context.

A designer should, however, pay particular attention to the area which their turrets are able to target, and work to eliminate blind-spots where possible.

==Defensive Effects==

As well as modifying the behavior of weapons systems, [[Effects|effects]] can be used defensively, by simply placing the effect computer in the hotbar, instead of linking it to a weapon. All effects have some use within a defensive context, but the ones highlighted here are of the utmost importance.

[[Ion Effect Computer|Ion Effect]], used defensively, reduces damage dealt to shields by a maximum of 60%. This functions in the same way as Armor values do for blocks: For example, what might normally do 400 damage to a shield will, when reduced by 60% Ion, deal only 160 damage.

[[Piercing Effect Computer|Piercing Effect]], used defensively, increases how much damage the AHP pool of an entity absorbs, by up to 25% (resulting in a total absorption rate of 75%). In the previously-used example of a 400-damage projectile hitting Advanced Armor, the 100 damage that might otherwise be dealt to the block is reduced to 25 rather than 50, with AHP taking the remaining 75 damage.

[[Punch-Through Effect Computer|Punch-Through Effect]] reduces the damage taken by the AHP pool when it absorbs damage, by a maximum amount of 25%. This does not affect the rate of absorption, and can be thought of as an Armor or Ion value for the AHP pool itself. Consider the above example: the 75 damage absorbed by Piercing-reinforced AHP is then reduced by 25% before being applied to the AHP pool, resulting in only 56.25 damage being dealt.

See the [[Effects#Defensive Use|Defensive Use]] section of the Effects page for more information.

[[Category:Ship]]
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

Defense Systems

2016-10-23T23:35:48Z

Heillos: Added section on effective HP (damage required to destroy a block, when accounting for armor and armor HP reductions)

{{WIP}}

In [[StarMade]], players will often face a variety of threats to the safety of themselves and their entities (ships, stations, turrets or otherwise). Regardless of whether the attackers are players, NPCs, or both at once, the ways in which a player can ensure their survival are the same. This page details these mechanics by which a player can ensure the safety of their entities.

==Summary==

Here is a brief breakdown of the various mechanics which are relevant to defense.
*Shields: A regenerating HP pool which absorbs all incoming damage until depleted. When depleted, they enter a brief "outage" phase (wherein they do not recharge) before beginning to regenerate again.
**Defensive Ion Effect: Decreases damage dealt to shields by up to 60% when active.
*Hit Points (HP): Every block has a set HP value, representing its own structural integrity. When the HP of a block is reduced to 0, it is destroyed.
*Armor: A flat percentage value granted to a range of blocks, which reduces damage dealt to that block by the stated percentage. Applied before AHP absorption.
*Armor HP (AHP): A non-regenerating HP pool which absorbs 50% (without defensive effects) of all damage dealt to any block which contributes to the AHP pool (in short, all tiers of hull and doors). Applied after armor reduction, and stacks multiplicatively with it.
**Defensive Piercing Effect: Increases the amount of damage absorbed by AHP to a maximum of 75% (from 50%)
**Defensive Punch-Through Effect: Reduces damage taken by AHP by up to 25%. Does not change amount of damage absorbed, but rather acts as an Armor value for the AHP pool itself.
*Structure HP (SHP): A non-regenerating HP pool which serves as a measure of an entity's integrity. As it decreases, various penalties are applied to the entity. When it is reduced to 50%, the entity will overheat: this ejects any pilot in its [[Ship Core]] and renders it inoperable. An overheating entity has a countdown, proportional to the entity's size, before it collapses, disappearing altogether. This countdown can be stopped, and the entity rendered operable again, by "rebooting" it.
*Turrets: Although not exclusively defensive in nature, AI-controlled turrets still play key roles in entity defense:
**Shooting down incoming missiles, neutralizing damage which would otherwise have to be mitigated by shields or armor.
**Allowing heavy, slow-turning ships to apply damage to smaller, more maneuverable vessels.

==Shields==

Shields are the first layer of an entity's defenses. A shield system relies on two blocks: the [[Shield Capacitor]] and the [[Shield-Recharger]]. The capacity of the shield is dependent on the number of Shield Capacitors, and its rate of regeneration is dependent on the number of Shield-Rechargers. While an entity has any shield remaining, it will not take block damage. Once the shield is depleted, it is rendered temporarily vulnerable.

Once a ship's shields have reached 0 HP, they will stop recharging for 10 seconds. After this 10 seconds has elapsed, the shields will begin recharging once more. However, if the ship is still taking damage, it is likely that they will be rapidly depleted again, and another 10 second recovery time will begin, leaving the ship open to continued damage.

Unlike most other ship systems, shield systems require no controller, nor do they have any placement rules which affect efficiency. This often serves to make them an ideal filler block, being used in small spaces where other blocks, which require efficient placement, would go to waste. The only design consideration is deciding what values of shield capacity and regeneration are desirable; bearing in mind the power demands the [[Shield-Recharger]]s will make on the ship's [[Power_Systems|power system]].

The strength of a shield can be increased using the [[Ion Effect Computer|Ion Effect system]]: this will reduce damage taken by shields by up to 60%, effectively functioning as an Armor value for shields. This is explained in more detail in the [[#Defensive Effects|Defensive Effects]] section below.

===Shield Rules===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''LEGEND'''
|-
| '''C''' || Shield Capacity
|-
| '''NC''' || Number of Shield Capacitators
|-
| '''NR''' || Number of Shield-Rechargers
|-
| '''R''' || Shield Regeneration per Second
|-
| '''S''' || Current amount of shields
|-
| '''P''' || Power Usage
|}

The exact capacity, regeneration, and power consumption of a shield system can be calculated by using a few different formulas.
Any decimal results produced by these formulas should be rounded down to the nearest whole number.

The shield capacity, '''C''', of a ship with '''NC''' number of [[Shield Capacitor]]s, can be found by the formula: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''C''' = '''NC'''0.9791797578 * '''110''' + '''220'''</tt>.

The shield regeneration per second, '''R''', of a ship with '''NR''' number of [[Shield-Recharger]]s, can be found by the formula: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''R''' = '''NR''' * '''5.5'''</tt>

Upon taking a hit, the shield regeneration per second drops to 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''R''' = '''NR''' * '''5.5''' * '''0.25''' * ('''1''' - '''0.5''' * '''S''' / '''C''')</tt> 
for one minute, where '''S''' is the current amount of remaining shields (effectively reducing the shield regeneration by 82.25% to 75% depending if your ship's shields are full or nearly depleted)

The power usage per second, '''P''', for a given number of [[Shield-Recharger]]s changes depending on whether or not the ship's shields are fully charged.

If the shields are fully charged: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''P''' = '''R''' </tt>

If the shields are not fully charged: 
<tt style="font-size: large">'''P''' = '''10''' * '''R''' </tt>

==Armor==
All blocks have an armor value, although in the majority of cases it is 0%. Non-0% armor values decrease damage dealt to that block by the given percentage. For example, consider a 400-damage cannon projectile striking a block of Advanced Armor (250HP, 75% armor reduction). 400 reduced by 75% is 100, and so the Advanced Armor block takes only 100HP of damage.

==Hit Points==
All blocks also have a Hit Points (HP) value, representative of that block's durability and integrity (stronger blocks, like armor, have higher HP). When the HP of a block reaches 0, it is destroyed.

Damaged blocks can be repaired by [[Astrotech Computer|Astrotech Beams]]. This is not common practice, however, as most significant battle damage destroys blocks altogether. Furthermore, the amount of effort required (piloting a repair vessel and firing at every damaged block) is not proportional to the reward received (minor cosmetic repairs, with no effect on missile craters or other significant damage).

As the HP of a block decreases, it appears progressively more dented and darkened, with almost-broken blocks approaching black in colouration and being very visibly crumpled. Destroyed blocks break into fragments which will bounce around for a duration before disappearing altogether.

As well as individual block HP, entities have two overall HP pools: Structure HP and Armor HP, both of which are detailed below.

===Structure HP===
Structure HP, abbreviated to "SHP", is a measure of the overall structural integrity of a ship. Its maximum value is the sum of each block in the ship's individual SHP contribution: systems blocks such as power, shields, and weapons are the primary contributors to the SHP total. Armor and miscellaneous blocks provide very small SHP contributions. Any block that is intangible, or can become intangible (such as door blocks) provide no SHP: this prevents the creation of effectively-invulnerable pools of hitpoints.

SHP, being the measure of a ship's integrity, also defines when it is destroyed. When blocks on a ship are destroyed, the ship loses SHP proportional to both the SHP contribution of the block, and the overall size of the ship (the maximum SHP value remains unchanged, so that how damaged the ship is can be measured). As SHP decreases, various penalties are applied to the ship.

Once SHP has decreased to 50% of its maximum, the ship enters an "overheating" state. When a ship begins overheating, any player who is piloting it, or in a block such as a weapon computer or [[Build Block]], will be ejected: there are no direct penalties to the pilot or crew, but they will likely be threatened by whatever force has overheated their ship. An overheating ship has a countdown, proportional to its size, before it "collapses", disappearing altogether: this countdown can be stopped by [[#Rebooting|rebooting]] the ship. Overheating ships are inoperable, and the core cannot be entered until rebooted.

While a ship's structure HP is at 100%, it can be edited normally, with no negative effect. However, when its SHP is below 100%, it cannot be edited without consequences: removing blocks will only remove their SHP value from the current HP amount, and adding blocks will only add their SHP value to the maximum SHP amount. In this way, any change made to a damaged ship will cause its current SHP% to decrease, eventually causing it to overheat if too many changes are made.

The table below displays the penalties applied to an entity as structure HP decreases. To ensure clarity, the definition of each term is explained beforehand:

*'''SHP %''': When the entity's current SHP % is less than this, the stated penalties are in effect.
*'''Power Recharge''': The percentage, of the normal value, which power regenerates at. Does not have any effect on [[Power Auxiliary|Power Auxiliaries]].
*'''Shield Recharge''': The percentage, of the normal value, which shields regenerate at.
*'''Thrust''': The percentage, of the normal value, which maximum speed is set to (thrust output, power cost, and thrust:mass ratio are seemingly unchanged)
*'''Control Loss''': Makes the entity unresponsive to player input of any sort, besides rebooting. Particularly harmful if the ship is part-way through a rotation, as the pilot will be unable to stop the rotation.

{|class="wikitable"
|+SHP Damage Penalties
|-
!SHP %
!Power Recharge
!Shield Recharge
!Thrust
!Control Loss
!Overheating
|-
|90%
|90%
|90%
|90%
|No
|No
|-
|80%
|80%
|80%
|80%
|No
|No
|-
|70%
|70%
|70%
|70%
|No
|No
|-
|60%
|50%
|50%
|50%
|No
|No
|- style="background-color:#e69500"
|55%
|50%
|50%
|50%
|Yes
|No
|- style="background-color:#e60000"
|50%
|0%
|0%
|50%
|Yes
|Yes
|}
===Armor HP===
Armor HP, abbreviated AHP, is a damage mitigation pool which applies only to armored blocks. As with SHP, its maximum value is the sum of individual blocks' AHP values. Comparatively few blocks contribute to AHP: Only door blocks (Glass Doors, Plex Doors, Blast Doors, and Forcefields) and all types of hull/armor (Basic, Standard, Advanced and Crystal). AHP absorbs 50% of damage dealt to any block which contributes to the AHP pool; this absorption takes place after per-block armor reduction. Note that AHP will only apply its absorption to blocks which have an AHP value themselves, and will not affect damage dealt to systems such as power or shields.

For example, consider a 400-damage cannon projectile striking a block of Advanced Armor (as mentioned in the Armor section), but this time factoring in AHP as well. The Advanced Armor block reduces the 400 damage by 75%, to 100 damage, but this is not actually dealt to the block yet. Armor HP absorbs 50% of this reduced amount, and so 50 damage is dealt to the Advanced Armor block, with the other 50 damage being taken by the AHP pool instead.

The amount which armor HP absorbs can be increased by using the Piercing Effect defensively, and Punch-Through Effect will reduce the damage taken by the AHP pool, effectively negating up to 25% of all damage which it absorbs. These are explained in more detail in the [[#Defensive Effects|Defensive Effects]] section.

Because AHP takes damage based on incoming damage, ''not'' block destruction (Like SHP), it can often be depleted far in advance of all armor blocks on a ship being destroyed. When AHP reaches 0, it will no longer be able to absorb any of the damage dealt to armor blocks.

===Effective HP===
An important concept to understand, when designing a ship's defenses, is that of Effective HP (EHP). This is the amount of damage it takes to destroy a block, accounting for armor and armor HP reductions. For a given block, its EHP can be found by the following formula. ''Note that percentages should be expressed as their decimal forms, in order to produce correct results. Armor HP reduction is 50% (0.5) by default, and reaches a maximum of 75% (0.75) with 25% Piercing Effect.''

<big>'''EHP''' = '''BlockHP''' / ( '''1''' - '''Armor%''' ) / ( '''0.5''' - '''Piercing%''' )</big>

The table below lists effective HP values for hull, standard armor and advanced armor. EHP values are displayed for 3 distinct states of damage reduction: AHP+25% Piercing Effect, AHP, and no AHP.

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Armor EHP
! Armor Tier !! AHP+Piercing !! AHP Only !! No AHP
|-
| [[:Category:Hull|Hull]] ||style="text-align:right"| 300 ||style="text-align:right"| 150 ||style="text-align:right"| 75
|-
| [[:Category:Standard|Standard Armor]] ||style="text-align:right"| 1,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 500 ||style="text-align:right"| 250
|-
| [[:Category:Advanced|Advanced Armor]] ||style="text-align:right"| 4,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 2,000 ||style="text-align:right"| 1,000
|}

A simple [https://www.desmos.com/calculator/scuhccyzn5 Desmos graph] displays the change in an armor block's EHP as Piercing Effect is added to AHP absorption.

===Rebooting===
A ship can be "rebooted" to reset its current SHP to 100%, also stopping it from overheating, if it currently is. Specifically, this sets the maximum SHP value of the ship to the sum of every remaining block's SHP value. Rebooting is accomplished by pressing {{K|Reboot}}, if in the ship, or simply activating the core by pressing {{K|Activate module}}. Rebooting takes a minimum of 30 seconds, with larger ships taking proportionally longer to reboot.

The formula below is believed to accurately express the reboot time, in seconds, of a given ship. This value is partially dependent on the current SHP, as a percentage, of the ship being rebooted. Mass is the most significant driver of reboot time, and very large ships can take exceedingly long periods to reboot.

<big>'''RebootTime''' = '''40''' - '''CurrentSHP%''' * '''10''' + '''ShipMass''' * '''0.0002'''</big>

Note that rebooting a ship will not reset its AHP value. AHP must be repaired at any station with shop capabilities; this includes player-made stations with [[Shop Module|Shop Modules]]. Repairs cost 1 credit per AHP repaired.

==Turrets==
Any entity can have turrets docked to it; separate entities which rotate freely about a [[Rail Turret Axis]], usually working in pairs to provide both axes of motion. Although not exclusively a defensive weapon, turrets play some key roles in defending an entity, both in shooting down missiles, and in protecting large, lumbering ships from more nimble harrassers.

===Anti-Missile===
The foremost defensive use of turrets is in shooting down enemy missiles, readily negating often significant amounts of potential damage. Turrets used for this purpose are referred to as point-defense (PD), point-defense turrets (PDT), or sometimes anti-missile turrets (AMT).

For a turret to shoot down missiles, it must be equipped with [[Cannon Computer|cannons]]: these are the only type of weapon which can damage missiles. Missiles have only 1 HP, and are therefore destroyed by any hit. Although a player operating a point-defense turret is technically possible, it is not advisable, as missiles do not have navigation markers, and players cannot reasonably match the rate at which AI can track and destroy them. Therefore, a point defense turret should also be equipped with a [[BOBBY AI Module]] set to behave as a turret, and ordered to target missiles in particular.

The weapons utilized by a point-defense turret have a few peculiarities, due to their specialized role. First and foremost, one must note that all [[Effects|tertiary effects]] are of no use on a point-defense turret: all it needs to do is deal 1 damage to each missile, and every tertiary effect simply modifies the effect of a weapon's damage, which is redundant when the target will die in one hit. As cannons are the only weapon type which can damage missiles, options are somewhat limited. The most important characteristic of a point-defense turret is to produce a great volume of fire, therefore increasing the chance of the turret hitting its target. The preeminent weapon combination, therefore, is cannon/cannon, due to its high rate of fire.

A useful supplementary (but not primary, especially for-point defense) choice of weapon is cannon/missile, owing to its shotgun-like effect (producing a spread of 9 projectiles per firing of the weapon). This spread can prove useful against missile/missile systems (which also launch many projectiles), as the large area of a cannon/missile spread makes them more likely to collide with such clusters of missiles. However, it has a lower rate of fire than cannon/cannon, and, due to its arbitrary and non-centered spread (none of the projectiles fired fire directly forwards), is unsuited for use in most cases, particularly with AI. This is because an AI does not recognize the pattern which cannon/missile fires in, and simply aims as though the projectile will fire directly forwards.

===Anti-Ship===
Turrets are, of course, of particular use in defending slow or stationary targets against faster-moving entities which a large ship cannot neccessarily bring its main guns to bear on. This is a fairly broad topic, of course, and design varies significantly as it is not such a specific role as point-defense. There are no particular specifications to be upheld, as long as the turret is effective within the relevant context.

A designer should, however, pay particular attention to the area which their turrets are able to target, and work to eliminate blind-spots where possible.

==Defensive Effects==

As well as modifying the behavior of weapons systems, [[Effects|effects]] can be used defensively, by simply placing the effect computer in the hotbar, instead of linking it to a weapon. All effects have some use within a defensive context, but the ones highlighted here are of the utmost importance.

[[Ion Effect Computer|Ion Effect]], used defensively, reduces damage dealt to shields by a maximum of 60%. This functions in the same way as Armor values do for blocks: For example, what might normally do 400 damage to a shield will, when reduced by 60% Ion, deal only 160 damage.

[[Piercing Effect Computer|Piercing Effect]], used defensively, increases how much damage the AHP pool of an entity absorbs, by up to 25% (resulting in a total absorption rate of 75%). In the previously-used example of a 400-damage projectile hitting Advanced Armor, the 100 damage that might otherwise be dealt to the block is reduced to 25 rather than 50, with AHP taking the remaining 75 damage.

[[Punch-Through Effect Computer|Punch-Through Effect]] reduces the damage taken by the AHP pool when it absorbs damage, by a maximum amount of 25%. This does not affect the rate of absorption, and can be thought of as an Armor or Ion value for the AHP pool itself. Consider the above example: the 75 damage absorbed by Piercing-reinforced AHP is then reduced by 25% before being applied to the AHP pool, resulting in only 56.25 damage being dealt.

See the [[Effects#Defensive Use|Defensive Use]] section of the Effects page for more information.

[[Category:Ship]]
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]

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2016-10-23T11:16:32Z